*Taken from the Agricultural Research Information System (ARIS) database.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Ecology

2007

University of California Davis. Dissertation title: The influence of plant competition and facilitation on evolutionary processes.

M.S. Biology

2000

San Jose State University. Thesis title: Population differentiation in Eschscholzia californica.

B.A. Music

1992

Mills College, Oakland, California

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research focuses on establishment, genetic identity and evolutionary potential of restored native populations in the face of biological invasions. This research includes the role of competition on restoration success, the role of genetic identity and maternal effects on the establishment of restoration materials. I have recently expanded my research program to track whole-ecosystem recovery after weed removal and restoration; this includes bird, insect and plant populations as well as soil conditions.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Below is a list of projects I participated in before joining the USDA.

Post-doctoral Scholar, Univ. of Nevada- Reno. Field and greenhouse research testing the heritable interrelationship of weeds and native species to the environment. Field testing suitability of a variety of restoration species and crops in Nevada agricultural practice. With Dr. Elizabeth Leger, Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Science.

Doctoral Research, UC Davis. Field and greenhouse research testing the effects of density dependence and local productivity on natural selection and genetic drift in California annual plants. With Dr. Kevin J. Rice, Dept. of Plant Sciences.

Plant Ecologist, BMP Ecosciences, San Francisco CA. Library and field research to develop reference document for use by the City of Santa Cruz to develop an adaptive management plan for the endangered species Holocarpha macradenia. With Dr. Bruce Pavlik, BMP Ecosciences.

Research Assistant, UC Davis. Isolate PCR primer to distinguish Aegilops caudataand Ae. umbellulatafrom each other for the purpose of determining maternal parent of Ae. triuncialis(goatgrass) in invasive populations. With Dr. John McKay, currently at Colorado State University.

Masters Research, San Jose State University. Field and common garden experiments to determine interpopulation differences in Eschscholzia californica. Developed and optimized primers for conducting RAPD analysis of genetic differences among populations. With Dr. Rodney G. Myatt, Dept. of Biological Sciences.

Environmental Technician, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Greenhouse research on effects of intraspecific competition and self-compatibility on Amsinckia grandiflora, a federally-listed endangered plant. Field research on ecophysiological effects of competitive environment on A. grandiflora. Dr. Tina M. Carlsen, Environmental Restoration Dept.

Research Assistant, Mills College. Demography and population restoration of state-listed endangered plant Acanthomintha duttonii. Common garden experiment to determine if and congenerics are serpentinite endemics or tolerators. Dr. Bruce M. Pavlik, Dept. of Biology.

PUBLICATIONS:

Peer-Reviewed Publications:

Gibson, A., V. Wagner, E. Espeland, and C. Nelson. In press. Local adaptation studies: their use in determining best restoration practice. Evolutionary Applications.

Schantz, M. and E.K. Espeland. In press. Germination timing and rate of locally collected western wheatgrass and smooth brome grass: The role of collection site and light sensitivity along a riparian corridor. Native Plants Journal.

Espeland, E.K. and L. Richardson. 2015. The role of competition and seed production environment on the success of two perennial grass species in a roadside restoration. Ecological Restoration 33: 282-288. (PDF)

Leger, E.A., Espeland, E.K. 2010. The shifting balance of facilitation and competition affects the outcome of intra- and interspecific interactions over the life history of California grassland annuals. Plant Ecology. 208:333-345. (PDF; 421 KB)

Espeland, E.K. 2009. When the Darwinian struggle for existence is more like a cakewalk: how mild conditions and helpful neighbors influence the evolution of plants. McLaughlin Reserve, University of California Natural Reserve System, Lower Lake, CA USA